Louie Anderson Remembered By Hollywood, Comedy World: ‘Heaven Has A Hell Of An Open Mic Night…”

Greg Evans
·5 min read

Refresh for updates… Louie Anderson, the longtime comedian and actor who died of cancer this morning, is being remembered today by colleagues as a generous friend and groundbreaking comic.

“Heaven has a hell of an open mic night goin’ right about now,” tweeted comedian George Wallace. “Everybody gets the light. You’ll be missed. Louie. What an awesome friend. One in a million…”

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“Louie Anderson : Your generosity of spirit will cover the world from above,” writes Henry Winkler. ” ..we are so lucky you were on earth for a moment , spreading your humor all over like bars of living gold .. Good Bye.”

FX, the network on which Anderson’s Baskets aired, issued a statement: “We are so deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Louie Anderson. For four wonderful seasons, Louie graced us and fans of Baskets with a bravura performance as Christine Baskets, for which he deservedly was recognized by his peers with the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. It was a risky role for him and he embraced it with a fearlessness and joy that demonstrated his brilliance as an artist. He truly cared about his craft and was a true professional in every sense. Our hearts go out to his loved ones and his Baskets family – Zach Galifianakis, Jonathan Krisel and Martha Kelly and all the cast and crew. He will be missed by us all but never forgotten and always bring a smile to our faces.”

Journey Gunderson, Executive Director, National Comedy Center, said in a statement, “Few comedians have found success in so many of comedy’s arenas–from stand-up, sitcoms, and animation to game shows, reality shows, and feature film. Louie Anderson made his mark on the art form in wide-ranging ways and gifted us all with comedy that deftly ranged from hilarious to poignant. Anderson will be revered for years to come as someone who regularly and publicly challenged ideas about what comedy is, and for the empathy and grace he showed his peers and audiences alike.”

See below for reactions. Deadline will update this post as additional tributes arrive…

Byron Allen:
“Louie Anderson was a beautiful, loving soul who lived to make us all laugh and the world much brighter. A great human being, a great friend, and a great loss.”

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